Dr. Meier and Dr. Popma recount the first balloon angioplasty in the 30th Anniversary ofCoronary Angioplasty. The first patient to undergo the procedure was eager to participatein the historic event, in part because his only alternative was bypass surgery.
Theprocedure took place on September 16, 1977 many onlookers including cardiac surgeons,cardiologists, and other bystanders. The angioplasty took about one and a half hours, andwas considered a short procedure when compared to bypass surgery.
The interview setsthe tone for the commemorative meeting.
KEYWORDS: Coronary angioplasty; 30thanniversary; bypass surgery; Dr. Popma; Dr. Bernhard Meier.